Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Lay's French Onion Dip ultra-processed?

15 oz (425.2 g) Dips Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Pack of Lay's French Onion Dip

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 6 additives

Less processed dips

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

water, sunflower oil, canola oil, onions, whey protein, modified corn starch 2%, salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, caramel color, natural flavors, glucono delta lactone, lactic acid, xanthan gum, datem

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E270 Lactic acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E575 Glucono-delta-lactone , E621 Monosodium glutamate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

WATER, SUNFLOWER OIL, CANOLA OIL, ONIONS, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, 2% MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, ONION POWDER, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL FLAVORS, GLUCONO DELTA LACTONE, LACTIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, DATEM.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 433 dips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 416th. 43% of the dips here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 433 dips, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400070942, last edited 17 July 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.